MADISON TWP. — One high school had a reputation as a wrestling powerhouse, while the other just wanted to start a program.

The Madison-Sand Creek cooperative wrestling program emerged 25 years ago with one high school focused on preserving its history and the other on creating its own identity.

When Kris Isom became Madison’s athletic director in 1986, there was no wrestling team. “I was very surprised as Madison had been a powerhouse in the ’70s with their wrestling program,” she said.

Former coach Gail Shinall led Madison to Class D state championships in 1974, ’75, ’76, ’77, and ’79. When Shinall left for Siena Heights and its wrestling program in 1983, the program suffered due to a lack of interest and participants.

Eventually, wrestling returned at Madison during the 1987-88 season under the guidance of Pat Boss. But the program’s numbers still fluctuated.

Meanwhile, Sand Creek sought an identity of its own in wrestling. The Aggies had no program, and it was not until several students approached the school board about starting a team that it came about.

“The co-op program was talked about originally in 1998 with very informal discussions with our coach at the time, Charlie Evans, and with Steve Laundra from Sand Creek,” Isom said.

Each school held discussions with its administration, community, and student-athletes.

“Once we had a feel of what each school wanted to do, we proposed it to our Boards of Education at each school,” Isom said.

After each board approved the cooperative program, Isom said the districts reached out to the Michigan High School Athletic Association, which requires districts to be a cooperative for two years and then go from there.

Chris Harvey, who assisted Evans at Madison and eventually became the first head coach at Sand Creek, said the school districts wanted to establish strong numbers and create a sport that student-athletes wanted to be part of at their respective high schools.

“The goal was to build one team with good numbers, and once [we achieved that goal], both teams would go their own way,” said Harvey. “For the most part, it seemed to be a smooth transition to a great partnership.”

Once the cooperative program became a reality, Evans and Harvey were equal coaches, working with Isom and Laundra, who fully supported their coaches.

“The kids were good about bonding as a team, even though they were rivals in other sports in the [Tri-County Conference],” Harvey said.

The program worked because of the two coaches who helmed their teams.

“Both men complemented each other and did a tremendous job working through the newness of the program and how to navigate two rival schools now becoming one,” Isom said. 

Evans and Harvey showed patience during the early days as student-athletes learned proper wrestling techniques and developed an interest in the sport.

“After six years of being combined, our numbers started to grow,” Harvey said of the Madison/Sand Creek team. “Both programs were able to develop successful youth programs with the support of great parents from both schools.”

But that growth would not be there today without Evans and Harvey.

“Charlie Evans was a great coach, but an even better human being,” Isom said of Evans, who died in 2018. “He had a heart of gold. Charlie was a soft-spoken man who cared about each and every wrestler as if they were his own.

“I cannot say enough about Charlie Evans and what he did to promote wrestling not only for Madison, but for the sport, in general.”

The growth of the program did what it sought to do during its short time in existence: re-establish one wrestling program and create opportunities for another one.

“I would say that our co-op has been a success for both programs,” Harvey said.